Blackbird
by Syndiciate
Summary: Nothing is ever truly broken. That goes double for the bond between a master and apprentice.


_"Come," Yoda said urgently. He put his hand once more on Dooku's arm._

_"Catch you, I said I would. Believe you must: more forgiveness will you find from your old Master than from the new one."_

_-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-_

Dooku hesitated, his gaze torn between his former master's outstretched hand the and blinking red light on the Holocomm signaling his current master's attempt to contact him.

Slowly, almost unconscious of the action, Dooku's head lowered and his eyes landed on the hand touching his arm. The touch was light but utterly familiar, offering only comfort and acceptance.

"He's more powerful than you know…" Dooku said brokenly. "It's too late for me master. Too late for any of us."

He felt the hand on his arm tighten its grip, though not to the point that it was uncomfortable.

"True this cannot be, as long as one to defy him there remains." Yoda said simply.

Dooku looked into his former master's eyes, stunned at the quiet confidence with which he had made the statement.

"I don't deserve it." Dooku breathed his eyes glistening as he thought of all of the horrible deeds he had done in service to his master. No. In service to his own arrogance.

Yoda gave his arm a reassuring squeeze.

"Undeserving of forgiveness, only when unwilling to accept it, one is." Yoda responded sagely.

Dooku let out a weak chuckle and gave the wizened old Jedi a genuine smile, one that hadn't graced his features since before he left the Order.

"I meant your love, master."

Yoda's eyes crinkled in confusion.

"Never lost that, did you." His eyes glittered with amusement as he said this, and Dooku was stunned to feel the truth of these words for himself as the Grandmaster lowered his mental barriers and allowed the depth of his feelings to wash over him.

"_I could strike him down here and now." _The thought was fleeting but Dooku immediately felt shame flood his being at even having had it.

Sinking to his knees, he felt tears flow down his face. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he idly noted that, even in this position, he dwarfed the diminutive green master.

"_Why then has he always been able to make me feel so small?" _Dooku wondered, avoiding the gaze of the being across from him.

Dooku felt the gentle touch of a three clawed hand on his face as his tears were wiped away and then on his back as he was embraced. Cautiously, as if wary of a trick, Dooku felt his own arm arms wrap around the almost puppet-like body of the Jedi master as he buried his head into the crook of their neck.

"Alright it is, my young padawan." Yoda said quietly comforting, almost as if he had sensed the thought and knew the distress it had caused him.

"Nothing to fear is there, for but a fleeting moment without light, the darkness is." He finished, letting go and stepping back from his former student.

Dooku stood on unsteady legs before taking a deep breath. Releasing it, he felt a calm serenity fill his being even as the manor around him was falling to ruin.

"We have much to do master." He stated gravely.

Yoda simply nodded his head in agreement.

_-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-_

**Author's Note: Hey guys. This is my first attempt at rewriting an existing work ( or any kind of writing for that matter ). I've been wanting to make something like this ever since I first read "Yoda: Dark Rendezvous" a Clone Wars era novel that revolves around a secret meetup between Dooku and Yoda to discuss a potential end to the war which goes into detail on their past relationship as master and student. In the novel, their discussion is interrupted by the untimely arrival of Kenobi and Skywalker who, after a fight with Ventress, end up nearly destroying the place Dooku and Yoda had agreed to meet ( a manor called the Chateau Malreaux ). This understandably causes Dooku to believe that Yoda has betrayed him and culminates with the two dueling briefly only for Dooku to escape, similar to their encounter on Geonosis. I've always viewed Dooku as a tragic figure and to see his potential redemption ruined by Anakin and Obi Wan bumbling on to the scene annoyed me to no end when I was younger.**

**Anyways, I'd love to hear your guys' thoughts and feedback on this attempt and what kind of stories you'd like to see in the future or even if you'd like to see this continued in some form.**


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